The Four Gospels. Following is a comparison of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This is a work in progress so please have patience. The long term goal is to have all the miracles and parables of our Lord hyperlinked to their places in the gospels.
Differences. The theme of all the gospels is Christ! But each present Christ in a different aspect (see chart). Also, each was written from a different perspective with a different target audience in mind. We can all learn and enjoy each gospel, but they are understood best when we know the theme and perspective they are written from.
The synoptic gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke because they give a short synopsis of the Lord’s life from beginning to end. John doesn’t do that, he focuses on the Lord’s ministry in and around Jerusalem. In the synoptic Gospels, we have Christ presented to man to be received, but man fails the test and Christ is rejected. In John, Christ is rejected by man and Israel from the beginning, and God’s sovereign ways in grace and resurrection are brought in. Another difference is the audience. In the synoptic gospels we often have Jesus preaching to multitudes, but in John He is very often seen in a pastoral role, speaking to individuals... and it is to those individuals that He reveals the deepest truth of His Person!
General Comparison
|
Matthew
|
Mark
|
Luke
|
John
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Theme:
|
The Son of David
|
The Perfect Servant
|
The Son of Man
|
The Son of God
|
|
Presenting the Lord:
|
As the true Messiah to Israel – in connection with the promises made to Israel, but as Emmanuel, Jehovah the Savior.
|
In active service in the gospel – preaching the Word – the work that He came to accomplish personally as living on the earth.
|
As He was, a man on the earth – the Person whom we should have met every day had we lived at that time in Judea, or in Galilee.
|
In the glory of the Person of Jesus, the Son of God – that which He is in His own Divine nature.
|
|
Perspective:
|
Written for the Jew.
|
Written for the Roman.
|
Written for the Greek.
|
Written for the Church.
|
|
Written By:
|
A Jewish Tax-gatherer.
|
A young man who traveled with Paul and Barnabas
|
A Gentile physician who later traveled with Paul
|
The “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”
|
|
Opening Statement:
|
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
|
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
|
“…to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us…”
|
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
|
|
Ending of the Gospel:
|
Ascension not recorded. Ends with the Lord in resurrection power on the earth, the disciples given the great commission.
|
Ascension recorded. Ends with disciples “going forth, preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them.”
|
Ascension recorded. Ends with promise of the Holy Ghost to come, and the disciples in the Temple praising.
|
Ascension not recorded. “These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”.
|
|
Genealogy:
|
Traced to David, then back to Abraham. Genealogy through the natural father’s side, through which the royal line would pass.
|
No Genealogy.
It is not necessary to know a servant’s genealogy. |
Traced all the way back to Adam, the first man. Genealogy through the mother’s side; i.e. seed of the woman (the “he” of Genesis 3:15).
|
No Genealogy. Emphasis is on Him being the Son of God.
|
Other Interesting Statistics
| Category |
Matthew
|
Mark
|
Luke
|
John
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of Old Testament quotations
|
37
|
18
|
18
|
13
|
|
Occurrence of the word ‘immediately’
|
18
|
42
|
8
|
7
|
|
Number of Miracles Narrated
|
20
|
18
|
20
|
8
|
|
Number of Parables Recorded
|
21
|
9
|
27
|
0
|
Word Occurrences
|
English Word
|
Greek Word
|
Matthew
|
Mark
|
Luke
|
John
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dispensational Terms
|
|||||
|
End of the age
|
|
5
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
|
Kingdom of the Heavens
|
|
32
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
|
Action-Related Terms
|
|||||
|
Immediately
|
εὐθέως, εὐθύς
|
18
|
42
|
8
|
7
|
|
Preach
|
κηρύσσω
|
9
|
14
|
9
|
–
|
|
Moral Terms
|
|||||
|
Kingdom of God
|
|
5
|
15
|
33
|
2
|
|
Woe
|
οὐαί
|
13
|
2
|
14
|
–
|
|
Parable
|
παραβολή
|
17
|
13
|
18
|
–
|
|
People
|
λαός
|
15
|
3
|
36
|
3
|
|
Power
|
δύναμις
|
13
|
10
|
15
|
–
|
|
Terms Related to the Divine Nature
|
|||||
|
Glory, glorify
|
δόξα, δοξάζω
|
12
|
4
|
22
|
42
|
|
Father, The
|
πατήρ
|
44
|
5
|
17
|
122
|
|
Life
|
ζωή
|
7
|
4
|
6
|
36
|
|
Light
|
φῶς
|
7
|
1
|
6
|
23
|
|
Love (divine)
|
ἀγαπάω, ἀγάπη
|
9
|
5
|
14
|
44
|
|
Love (friendly)
|
φιλέω
|
4
|
–
|
1
|
13
|
|
Truth
|
ἀληθεια
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
25
|
|
* Taken mainly from the Concise Bible Dictionary
|
|||||
Parables in the Four Gospels
|
Parable Recorded
|
Sum
|
Matthew
|
Mark
|
Luke
|
John
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.14, v.28
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.14, v.31
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.2, v.21
|
ch.5, v.36
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.2, v.22
|
ch.5, v.37
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.13, v.6
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.13, v.28
|
ch.21, v.29
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.4, v.21
|
ch.8, v.16
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
ch.12, v.42
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.11, v.5
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.10, v.30
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.14, v.16
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
2
|
-
|
ch.6, v.47
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
ch.13, v.34
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
2
|
-
|
ch.13, v.20
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.15, v.8
|
-
|
|
|
2
|
-
|
ch.15, v.4
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.4, v.30
|
ch.13, v.18
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.18, v.10
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.19, v.12
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.15, v.11
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.12, v.16
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.16, v.19
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
ch.4, v.26
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.4, v.3
|
ch.8, v.5
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.7, v.41
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.18, v.2
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.16, v.1
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.12, v.35
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.12, v.1
|
ch.20, v.9
|
-
|
||
|
Sum
|
|
21
|
9
|
27
|
0
|
Miracles in the Four Gospels
|
Miracle Narrated
|
Sum
|
Matthew
|
Mark
|
Luke
|
John
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2
|
-
|
ch.11, v.14
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
ch.8, v.22
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
2
|
-
|
ch.7, v.1
|
-
|
||
|
2
|
-
|
ch.1, v.23
|
ch.4, v.33
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.5, v.1
|
ch.8, v.27
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
ch.2, v.3
|
ch.5, v.18
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.10, v.46
|
ch.18, v.35
|
-
|
||
|
4
|
ch.6, v.35
|
ch.9, v.12
|
|||
|
2
|
ch.8, v.1
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.1, v.40
|
ch.5, v.12
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.22, v.50
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.1, v.30
|
ch.4, v.38
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.5, v.38
|
ch.8, v.49
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.7, v.11
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
2
|
ch.11, v.12
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
ch.7, v.31
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.9, v.17
|
ch.9, v.38
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.5, v.1
|
-
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.14, v.1
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.5, v.25
|
ch.8, v.43
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.4, v.37
|
ch.8, v.22
|
-
|
||
|
2
|
ch.7, v.24
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
ch.17, v.11
|
-
|
|
|
3
|
ch.3, v.1
|
ch.6, v.6
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
|
3
|
ch.6, v.48
|
-
|
|||
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
Ch.13, v.11
|
-
|
|
|
Sum
|
|
20
|
18
|
20
|
8
|